A Paladin's Journey: Book 2: Order of Su'Kay
by Guardian Mikey
Summary: [Book 2 in the series] Mikey just can't get a break. Seven years after his training began, another power threatens Lore. With the help of old allies and old enemies, he must save everyone. Also, an old friend arrives. Will he help... or hinder?
1. Chapter 1

Book 2! Yes!

Mikey: Why can't you leave me alone?!

Because you're my slave. You belong to me! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Mikey: (sighs) Ducky doesn't own AE or is in any way employed by AE.

I wish I was. (cry)

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**Chapter One- **

The dark nights of Darkovia were darker than usual that day. Nightbane had fled for some unknown reason, leaving his minions in disarray. Each one vied for power, killing off each other until none were left. Nightbane's Castle grew silent and the bodies of the once proud Army of Nightbane still lay there.

A hooded man walked down the steps of the west tower into a dark, damp area. He scanned the room with one eye until it feel upon a steel door, covered in chains and barred with a wooden pole. He raised his arm and the chains and wood liquified, dripping away like rain in soil. He opened the door and wasn't surprised at what he saw. There lied a man. He was chained to the wall by his wrists. He looked starving and tired, seeing as he never budged an inch as the door creaked open loudly.

The hooded man asked him, "Do you want to escape?" He looked up, as if asking a quiet question. He moved his lips to talk, but the man stopped him. "No, do not speak. You must save what strength you have. Besides, you've been here for too long. I will help you get out. No one deserves to stay here." He moved his arm in an arc and cut the chains off the wall. He helped the young man stand, "Come on. Let's go." The hooded man ran, carrying the young man as he did. He stopped as he heard voices. He peeked around the corner and saw seven knights, each heavily armed.

One of them asked, "Why are we here? Surely one person isn't so important. I'd rather not run into any of those monsters or whatever they're called."

Another one replied, "Well, we have our orders. Besides, we won't run into any Dracovamps or any of Nightbane's guys. Well, not ones living anyway. Spread out and search!" Each knight left in a different direction, leaving the hooded man alone with the young man he carried.

He chuckled, "Looks like someone wants you. We have to leave quickly, before they realize you are gone from your cell." They made their way down a staircase and towards the throne room, where Nightbane once sat, commanding his army to pilage and destroy. They snuck past, making no noise as three more knights walked past, in a perfect marching formation. When they reached the front doors, over a dozen knights were standing guard. The man cursed under his breathe and looked at the man on his back, "They are really serious about catching you." He set the man down and turned to the knights, "Well, that's not going to stop us!" He muttered an incantation and three otherworldly beasts appeared. Each one looked to be a mixture of lion, goat, and snake.

The young man raised his head and looked at the beasts, muttering, "Chimeras."

The knights turned to see the three Chimeras, stalking up. They readied their swords and spears, prepared to fight. One Chimera lept forward, taking a spear to it's gut, but continuing to fight. It easily ripped through the armor of one knight, clawing right through him. He screamed in pain and fell, dead. The other Chimeras did about the same thing. In minutes, each Chimera was enjoying their prey. The man hoisted the young man on his back again, "The whole castle probably heard that. We have to hurry." He ran past the doors and shut the behind them. As he ran, he heard armor clinking behind him. _Damn! I didn't think they'd get past my Chimeras that fast. _

He heard a knight yell, "There they are! Get them!" The man ran faster and faster, hoping to lose the knights. He grunted and fell as an arrow pierced his leg. The young man rolled off his back and landed in a bank, covered by the trees and cattail.

A knight holding a crossbow walked up to the hooded man, "And just where are you going?" He looked around him, "Where's your friend? You know why we want him." The man's hood fell, revieling an old man of 63. The knight wasn't surprised, "So, you're a sage? I thought no one knew their sacred magic anymore. It doesn't matter. I have orders to kill anyone in my way. Unfortunatly, that means you." He raised his crossbow, a fresh arrow now knotched. Before he could pull the trigger, he was blasted back. He smacked into a tree, his back snapping as he landed.

The old man lowered his hand, "Fireballs are so crude." He raised his hood back up and walked over and hid with the young man he rescued. "Don't worry, my new friend. I know of a place where we can go." They waited until sunrise before continuing to Battleon.

A familiar figure in a light blue Guardian Plate brought his spear down in a horizontal slice, cutting the dummy target cleanly in half. Three captains clapped, pleased at his skill with the long weapon. He stood stoic for a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow. Looking up at the sky, he began to reminice about his days as of late and of his past. He remembered his fight against Matt and he remembered his happiness when he became a Paladin. He placed the spear back in the armory and made his way out of the Paladin training grounds. Mikey walked over to his faithful stead, Anope, and untied her rein from the post. He hopped up onto the saddle on her back and pulled on her reins, causing Anope to turn to the right.

_I'm finally 23 and i've accomplished my goal...almost._ Mikey gently hit Anope's side with his boot, yelling, "Hiya!" Anope neiged and took off, a train of dust kicking up. _I should be home in about two hours. Why are the training grounds so far from Battleon? I'll have to ask Artix that later._ Thirty minutes pasted and, so far, he had encountered no trouble, so he slowed down so that Anope could rest. He guided her over to a stream so she could drink. Mikey leaned up against a tree, his Holy Armor glowing in the sunset. He let out a breathe and sat down, "I wonder how Kinshra and Eliac are?" He ran his hand through his short, green hair. He finally got that hair cut he wanted. His hair no longer blocked his eyes and it looked similar to Artix's style, except with a bandanna. He had a small tail neatly tied that reached down past his shoulders. All these years and he still wore that bandanna, never leaving home without. _And with good reason too. _

A rustling nearby startled him and Mikey ran to Anope and grabbed a SkySorcher he had recently recived as a gift. He planted his feet and held the spear up, ready for any monster. The rustling noise came closer and quicker. Mikey gripped his polearm tighter and waited. The thing he was waiting for jumped out and Mikey lowered his weapon. What jumped out was a baby Frogzard. Mikey smiled and put his spear back on Anope. A squeal came from behind and Mikey turned. The baby Frogzard cowered near a tree as a Wolverine came into view. It came closer to the poor creature, scaring it to death. Mikey thought quickly. _It's just a baby Frogzard! I can't let it be hurt._ He grabbed his SkyScorcher again and stepped in inbetween the Wolverine and the Frogzard. The Wolverine was startled for a bit, but quickly ejected it's claws and jet forward. Mikey brought up his polearm and batted it aside, the metal bottom easily pushing the dangerous creature back. The Wolverine, however, would not let it's prey go. It continued to jump and attack. Each time it did, Mikey batted it away. Finally, the Wolverine took the hint and vanished into the woods.

Mikey set his SkySorcher on his back and turned to the startled baby, kneeling down. Mikey reached his out hand and the Frogzard wobbled forward and sniffed it. He brought his hand down and smiled, "Now, what's a young little guy like you doing by yourself?" The Frogzard, seeming to understand him, looked down sadly. Mikey's smile faded, "I see. Well, I can't leave you out here. I'll take you with me. Maybe Aria would like another pet." The Frogzard let out a sqeeck and hopped onto Mikey's head. He smiled again, "You're quite the jumper, aren't you? Well, let's go."

He walked over to Anope and climbed onto her back, sitting uncomfortably on the saddle, "No matter how many times I sit on this thing, it's still uncomfortable." He lightly kicked Anope's side again and headed once more for Battleon.

Deep in GreenGaurd Forest, in the elven town of Astald Megil, in the Castle of Astald, Queen Eliac sat on her throne, bored out of her head. Ever since the group split, she'd just been making sure that the town was safe, everyone was happy, and that no one was out to kill anyone. It was the same thing, day in and day out. _I'm so BORED! I want to get out and go on another adventure._ Kinshra walked in, oblivious to Eliac's bored mood, "I'm back. So, how's everything?"

Eliac muttered, "Same old, same old."

Kinshra smirked, "I know what you mean. Ever since Mikey's training started, I've been sent to Granemor ten times, Krovesport twelve times, and Gatta Island fifty times. I'm tired of being an advisor. Maybe I should quit, go back to my good old Paladin duties."

Eliac thought for a moment, "I say you should. You always did like slaying a skeleton here and there." They both shared a laugh.

When it died down, Kinshra replied, "What can I say? It's my thing." He turned serious, "Perhaps you would like to go live in Battleon?"

Eliac paled for a moment, "Look, I am bored with being queen, since there's really no excitement, but my people need me. I just can't walk away."  
Kinshra nodded his head, "Alright. If that's what you wish. You are right anyway. Your people love you. I don't think they would like it if you just upped and left without warning." He walked towards the door and bowed to Eliac, "Well, I must be off. I must report to Artix of the situation in Lolosia. Still rebuilding from the Sea Monster attack, you know."

Eliac nodded, "It was good to see you Kinshra."

Kinshra smiled and opened the door, "It was good to see you too, Eliac." He walked out and shut the door behind him. He looked up at the orange sky, lost in thought. _It was good to see you, Eliac. More than you know._ He walked off towards the town entrance and headed for Battleon.

Anope jumped a fence and continued galloping towards Battleon, or, at least, near Battleon. The wind whipped Mikey's hair as he bent his head behind Anope's, so that the wind would stop blowing in his eyes. His SkyScorcher was secured to his left, on a small area he had built on the saddle for it. The baby Frogzard had it's claw dug into Mikey's bandanna, but not too much to tear it. Just enough so that he wasn't blow away from the wind at the speed they were going. It had recently gotten dark and howls could be heard in the nearby forest, along with the noises of many other wildlife, such as owls, deeries, and turtles. Mikey looked around Anope's head and noticed a small brick house on the horizon. He smiled and kicked Anope, causing her to run faster.

"Hiya!" Anope speed up more. He noticed that the house was getting close fast and pulled back on the reins slightly, "Whoa girl!" Anope slowed down to a trot and stopped in front of a small shed a few feet away from the house. Mikey hopped down and opened the shed door, revieling a very spacious house for Anope. She trotted on inside and Mikey shut the lower half of the door, "Rest easy, Anope. Good night."

Anope neighed back and Mikey smiled. He turned around and walked to the house. He opened the door and was immediatly tackled to the ground by a small force, the Frogzard jumping off just in time. Mikey hit the ground, as he heard a small voice yell, "Daddy, you're home!"

Mikey looked down and saw two big green eyes looking up at him. He smiled and patted her brown hair, "Hello, little Faith. So, what did you do today?" Faith got off Mikey and he stood up, brushing some dust off his armor.

She smiled, "Mommy showed me how to fire a bow!" Faith jumped up and down, excited and very hyper.

Mikey laughed, "Oh, she did? How did you do when you tried?"

Faith looked down, embarrased, "Not so good..."

Mikey knelt down and ruffled his daughter's hair, "Aw, you'll do better. You just need to practice."

"That's what I told her. Of course, she always listens to her father." Robina walked out from the kitchen and up to Mikey. She kissed him, causing Faith to say, "Blah!" She stuck out her tounge and both Robina and Mikey laughed, "Well, we were all that way at her age."

Mikey continued to laugh, "Yeah, I guess so. How was your day, honey?"

Robina smiled, "Oh, the usual. Faith learned a new word today."

Mikey smiled widely, looking at Faith, "I'm so proud. What word did you learn?"

Faith smiled wider than Mikey, if that's possible, and replied, "Kitty!"

Mikey smiled and remembered, "Oh! I almost forgot!" He ran towards the front door and looked behind it, seeing the Frogzard hiding behind it. Mikey picked him up and brought him over. "I found him in the woods near the training grounds. He was being chased by a Wolverine. Apparantly, this tyke has no family."

Robina's face dropped, "Well, Aria can take good care of him."

Mikey nodded, "I'll be seeing her tomorrow about this." He felt two small, furry creatures rub against his greaves and looked down. He knelt down, setting the Frogzard down, and pet his two pets, "Nice to see both of you too. Blue, you've been nice to Maggie, haven't you?" Blue, a small blue kitten, hence his name, meowed quietly and ran off to the kitchen for dinner. Maggie, a Nerfkitten that Mikey trained, while getting quite a few bruises in the process, ran after him, looking for some dinner too. Mikey had replaced Maggie's spiked collar with a nice leather collar. Harmless and stylish, as Aria put it.

Faith tugged at Mikey's cape and opened her arms, pushing herself on her tippytoes. Mikey smiled and knelt down. He picked up Faith and walked around a bit. Slowly, Faith's eyes drooped down until she was softly sleeping. He walked into another room and set Faith down in her bed. He gave her a soft kiss and whispered, "Good night." He walked back out and shut the door behind him, just in time to hear a knock on his front door.

Robina walked towards the door, "I wonder who that is?"

Robina opened the door to see two figures standing there, one holding the other. She quickly asked, "May I help you?"

The hooded man spoke, "Yes, my friend here is injured. Might we be able to seek some sanctuary in your home as he heals? It has started to rain." Surely enough, small droplets of water could be seen falling from the sky. The drops fell from the leaves in the trees and landed on the ground with a soft tump, disipating into the soft earth, waiding through the molecules of soil, waiting to be brought back to the sky for the cycle to begin anew.

Mikey walked up and stood next to Robina, "Of course." He looked down and noticed the arrow wound, "And we'll patch that up for you."

The man nodded, "Thank you. And they say young people have no manners these days." He walked on in, Mikey and Robina moving aside, and put his tired and injured friend down near the small fire that was crackling in the fireplace, the flames dancing, sending off waves of warmth around the small cottage. The man pulled back his hood, his beard now visible to the young couple, "My name is Frasde Hag'r. I am a Sage, the last of them. I rescued this young man from the castle of the now missing Nightbane. We were chased after by several knights. We were able to hide and came here."

Mikey closed the door and walked into the kitchen as Robina walked over to the young man that sat by the fire. He soon walked out with four cups on a tray, each cups steaming from it's contents, "It's quite cold tonight. I hope Faith is warm enough." He set the tray down on the table that was set in front of couch, facing towards the fire. The man didn't move, but Frasde took a cup and sipped the liquid. Mikey turned and walked to a door, "I'll see how Faith is. She might get cold tonight." He opened the door and quietly shut it.

He smiled and looked at Robina, "He will need help, young lady. Here." He held out one cup, "Help him drink this. Some food and drink will ease his fatigue." Robina silently took the cup and brought it to the man's face. She pressed the rim of the cup to his lips and slowly tilted his head back, letting the warm cocoa travel down his throat. He made what sounded like a sigh, having not had anything relatively good for sometime.

Robina brought his head back to it's original slumped position, receiving a small, "Thank you."

Frasde smiled, "That's the second time he spoke more than one word. I have great faith that he will get better soon." He looked at his companion's dark face and blood-red eyes. He was not surprised at what he saw in those dark eyes; it was a sense of torture. The man had still not recovered from the torment he no doubt underwent for seven years. His face had several scars, some that weren't properly treated, but his magic fixed that before he arrived at his current location, "Where is this place, if I might inquire?"

Robina looked up, "You're about two or three miles from Battleon. Is that where you might be heading?"

Frasde shook his head, "No. We are on the run, to put it bluntly. The Knights of Su'Kay are after him, for reasons I do not know. We shall leave when his strength returns." He wrapped a small clothe that Mikey gave to him as they entered around the arrow wound, "I do not wish to intrude on your hospitality." The door creaked open and Mikey walked out, shutting the door behind him.  
Robina smiled, "How's our little one?"

Mikey smiled back, "She's fine. I gave her another blanket, just in case. Nothing too warm, so she'll be fine when it's cold and when it gets warmer. You know how she sleeps in."

Frasde chuckled, his voice sounding far younger than he looked, "She is young, is she not?"

Robina nodded, "Tomorrow she'll be four."

The old man continued, "Ah, a birthday girl, huh? Well, she is still very young. Little ones need their sleep for energy."

Mikey rolled his eyes, jokenly replying, "Then I say give her less sleep. She hyper enough as it is." The three shared a small, quiet laugh, before the sound of Anope crying loudly broke the fine mood. Mikey sighed, "I'll go see what's wrong." He grabbed his old Necromancer cloak and flung it on his head, securing it with a pin. He opened the door and walked out, shutting it behind him. Mikey walked over to see Anope acting strangly, "Easy girl! What's wrong? You see something?" As if on que, a knight, covered in black armor, riding a ferocious looking steed, stopped in front of Mikey, startling him a bit. Two more rode up beside him. Mikey slowly asked, "Can I help you?"

Meanwhile, Frasde looked out the window, hiden by the curtains placed at it's sides, which were now draped over the window itself, "This is not good. The knights have come here looking for us." He turned to Robina, "Might you have a place for us to hide, until the knights have left?"

Robina nodded, "We do. We use it to store presents, though. You know how excited kids get around their birthday and Frostval."

Frasde nodded, tugging at his beard lightly, "All too well, my dear. Please, lead the way."

The Black Knight glared down at Mikey, "Have you seen two figures walking through here recently?"

Mikey had a feeling something was wrong and, having heard about these Knights of Su'Kay, he replied, "No. No one comes around here, which is one of the reasons I live here. It's quite peaceful."

The knight replied, "Who do you live with?"

Mikey said, "Just my wife and daughter."

The knight looked skeptical for a moment before steering his horse away from the house, "If you see anyone, notify us at once." Mikey quickly muttered his assurances that he would and the knight galloped off with his two escorts, leaving Mikey in the rain. He shook his head and walked back inside, seeing only Robina. He took off his cloak and placed it back on the rack.

He looked around, "Where's the old-timer?"

Robina replied, "In the storage room. He wanted a place to hide, fearing the knights might be after him."

Mikey shook his head, "He was right. They were after him, but the are gone now." He walked into the kitchen and raised a secret hatch, looking down into a dark room. He lite a small candle and lowered it down, seeing that Frasde and the young man were sitting down. Mikey chuckled, "The coast is clear or do you like it down there?" He helped lift the young man before heaving Frasde out of the small area.

Mikey looked closly at the man and noticed his dark skin, pointy ears, and red eyes. He lightly called, "Robina?"

She walked into the kitchen, "Yes, dear?"

Mikey gestured to the man, "Is this who I think it is?"

Robina looked closer before putting her hand to her mouth, "It can't be..."

Mikey sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. He sat back and let out a sigh, "What are the chances..." He looked over at his old friend, surprised to see him after all this time.

Robina set him down in a chair and asked, "Damien? Is that you?"

He looked up slowly. His eyes had a sad shimmer in them, all the years of torment in his prison leaving it's mark. He made a small nod and then dropped his head back down, his chin resting on his chest. "I did not know he was a friend of yours," said Frasde.

Robina nodded, "Yes. We met him around seven years ago. He went missing about two months after we met him."

Mikey replied, "Where was he?"

"He was in Nightbane's castle."

"Do you know how he got there?"

"I do not."

Mikey sighed again, "We'll figure this out later. We should all get some sleep. It's getting late." Surely enough, it was pitch-black outside and the only noise made was the soft meowing of Maggie and Blue and the rain as it lashed outside.

He stood up and walked into the other room, closing the door. He walked out a few minutes later, his armor off, wearing a light-blue tanktop with black pajama bottoms. He removed his bandanna and set it on the shelf next to a small cabinet with a steel padlock on it.

"What's in that locked cabinet? I am perplexed by how secure it is," asked Frasde.

"Just two swords, that's all. Now, i'll show you to your room. I had a guest room built for such an occasion."

He led Frasde to the guest bedroom, leaving Robina with Damien. She didn't need to change, since she was already in her sleepwear, which consisted of a small green over-shirt and green pajama bottoms. She sat next to Damien, looking at him hard enough to burn a hole in him. "Why did this happen to you?"

Mikey walked back in and looked at Damien, slack in the chair, "I'll get him to a bed. He should be okay after so rest." Mikey lifted his friend, putting an arm around his shoulders and grabbing one arm for support. Damien's feet dragged against the wooden floor as he was brought into the guest bedroom.

Frasde was sitting in a rocking chair, his eyes shut and slowly rocking, making a small creeking noise. Mikey set Damien down on the bed and pulled the blankets over him, "I hope you get better." He walked out and shut off the light and closed the door. Robina walked into their room and Mikey followed, shutting the door and heading to sleep.

The next morning, Mikey was awoke by a small figure standing next to him, "Daddy! Wake up!"

Mikey sat up and rubbed his eyes, letting them focus afterwards. He looked at Faith, "Happy birthday."

She smiled widely and ran over to her mother, shacking her a little, "Mommy, wake up!"

Robina slowly sat up and smiled at her daughter, "Happy birthday, Faith. Do you feel older?"

Faith put her index finger on her chin, as she seemed to do when thinking, "Not reawy." She hopped over to the door and out into the living room. Mikey chuckled and followed as Robina grabbed a brush and procedded to brush her hair.

He noticed that Frasde was in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, "Morning, kid."

Mikey retorted, "I'm 23 years old. I don't think that classifies me as a kid."

Frasde replied, "Compared to me, you're a toddler. When you get as old as me, then i'll consider calling you a youngster." He laughed a bit before taking another sip of his coffee.  
Mikey shook his head, "I think i'll just stick to kid. I'm not in a hurry to get old." He grabbed two bowls and some cereal. He poured some into the bowls and poured in the milk. He placed one on the table as Faith bounced in an sat down.

"Yay! Ceweal!" Mikey handed her a spoon and she slowly ate, being careful when chewing. Mikey smiled and proceeded to eat some cereal himself. Robina soon joined them in the quiet meal.

A small groan came from the guest room and Frasde stood up, setting his mug down on the oak table, "I'll check on Damien."

"Daddy?" asked Faith.

"Yes, what it is?"

"Who is that?"

"Oh, he's just a friend of mine."

"...he tawks funny." Faith finished eating her cereal and drank down the milk. A knock on the door caused Mikey to turn his head towards the door.

He stood up from his chair, "I'll get it." he walked over to the door and opened it. Standing there was Hannah.

She smiled, "Hi, big brother." Mikey let her inside and grabbed the package from her before she was knocked down by a very hyper little girl.

"Auntie Hannah!" Faith hugged her and Hannah returned the gesture.

"Hello, my favorite little neice."

"I'm your onwy neice."

"Which is why you're my favorite." She stood up as Faith let go and got off her. She took the package from Mikey and set it on the table with the others, "Wow, someone's got a lot of presents this year."

Faith just smiled and replied, "Daddy, when can I open them?"

Mikey smiled, "Later today, honey. We have to wait for everyone else to arrive. You want to see Uncle Kinshra and Aunt Eliac, don't you?"

Faith hopped up and down, "Yeah!"  
Robina walked in, "Oh, hello Hannah. You're a bit early."

Hannah replied, "Yeah, but I just couldn't wait to see you guys. Artix was kind enough to let me borrow a horse."

Robina, Hannah, and Mikey all sat down on the couch and Faith scrambled onto her mother's lap.

Frasde walked into the living room, "Oh, hello. I didn't know you were expecting company."

Hannah stood up, "And you are?"

Mikey lied for Frasde, "He's a friend of dad's. He came by to visit last night." He turned to the old man, "So, how is he?"

Frasde shrugged, "He's fine. He is still weak from lack of nutrient though. A few days rest and good food will get him better soon."

Hannah tilted her head, "Who's 'he'?"

Frasde stepped aside, "Well, see for yourself."

Hannah stepped into the guest bedroom and looked at the sleeping figure. His dark hair and skin contrasted the white sheets and blue blanket he slept in. Hannah shouted in disbelief, "Damien!?"

Damien shifted at the loud yell and sat up, awakened from his sleep. He brought his hand up to his head, "Would you mind keeping it down? I'm very tired." He yawned and sunk back into the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Hannah just stood there bewildered before moving back into the living room, muttering a quick sorry.

She ran her hand through her long green hair, "So, how'd he get here?"

Frasde casually replied, "Oh, I found him and brought him here. He was pretty beat up."

Faith jumped up and ran into the kitchen, "Kitty!" She picked up Blue and quickly hugged him, much to his dismay. He let out a low meow, which resembled a sigh, and waited until his master's daughter was done sqweezing the fluffiness out of his fur. When Faith finished hugging him, Blue trotted off into the master bedroom, looking for his small bed.

Mikey stiffled a laugh, "I see she loves cats as much as I do."

Frasde smiled at Mikey as a grandfather would to their grandchild, "Ah, I see the resemblance between you two now. Were you that hyper when you were younger?"

Mikey shrugged, "Dunno. I don't remember that far back. Maybe to about nine or ten, but that's about it." He shook his head, "But enough of that. Let's get the cake and everything ready."

Everyone but Frasde stood up and walked into the kitchen, preparing for the party that would occur later in the evening.

Hannah whispered to Mikey, "What do we tell the others when the see Damien? He looks pretty beat up."

"He was even worse yesterday. But, I say we tell them what we know. He'll be fine soon." Mikey whispered back as he grabbed the sugar and measured the amount, pouring it into the cake mix. He stirred the sugar with the eggs and flour, pouring in a cup of milk, making it into a thick cream.

Faith stood on her toes, grabbing onto the counter and trying to see, "Mommy, I wanna see."

She pouted at her mother who simply laughed, "Don't worry, angel. You'll see what's being made later."

Faith lowered herself and turned to Robina, "Is it a surpwise, Mommy?"

Robina knelt down to her daughter's level and gave her a small poke on the nose, "Now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" Faith groaned and left the kitchen, heading into the living room and sitting on the couch, swinging her legs.

A soft knock came at the door and Frasde stood up, his bones creeking as he moved. He shuffled over to the door and opened it, reveiling a man wearing golden armor similar to Mikey's, but this one had a cape. He raised an eyebrow, "Uh, is this the wrong house?"

Faith looked over and ran to the door. When she got there, she latched herself onto the man's leg, "Uncle Kinswa! You're here!"

He laughed as he looked down, mostly laughing at how his name sounded when his "neice" said it, "Well, I guess I got the right house after all."

Mikey walked into the living room amist the commotion, "Well, duh, no one else lives around here for miles. The chances of this not being my house are the same as you not being madly in love with Eliac, which is zero."

Kinshra turned so red from embarrasment that Mikey thought he would erupt like aa volcano. He cleared his throat and walked in, Faith still tightly clamped on his leg, "Okay, little one, you can let go now."

Faith stuck out her tounge and held on, "You tawk like the funny guy."

He sighed and asked, "Please?"  
She let go and scampered off to her room, Mikey close behind.

"Make yourself at home. I'm sure you had a long walk. Time for the birthday girl to get dressed." He walked into Faith's room and shut the door.

A few minutes later, the both walked out. Faith's hair was in a ponytail and was secured with a small red bow. She wore a pair of blue shorts and small slippers with a light blue tunic. She bounced over to the couch and sat down again, waiting for the surprise.

Mikey walked into his room and shut the door behind him. When he stepped out, he was wearing dark pants and a dark red tunic, a belt around his waist. He also wore a pair of slippers. After all, heavy greaves were so uncomfortable these days. He walked into the living room and took Robina's spot as she got dressed. She wore her usual outfit, not forgetting her green hat.

She walked over to the couch and sat next to Kinshra, "How on Lore can you wear that thing now? It's got to be around 90 outside."

Kinshra just smiled sheepishly and replied, "Well, I couldn't think of anything else to wear. And i'm used to the heat. Remember when we went on that trip to Falconreach? Now, that was a scorcher."

"I wonder how Ash is doing? I heard he saved a princess."

"Aye, as did I. He might be a knight, or he might just be saying things. You never know."

"Have you heard from Sir Render lately?"

"Oh yes, many times. He seems to be doing well as the new mayor, though he's a bit irked about an office job. He's a knight. He likes to battle."

Mikey and Hannah walked out fo the kitchen, drying their hands, "It'll be ready soon. Then, we'll decorate. In the meantime, I must be off. I need to talk with Aria."

Mikey slipped on his red bandanna and tied it. He walked over to a small green lump and scooped it up, causing a small shrill to come from the Frogzard's mouth.  
He waved over his shoulder as he opened the door and, making sure Faith was preoccupied, used his vampire wings and took off.

After all, flying is so much faster and Anope could use the rest. A full week of back and forth between training grounds and home was tiring on a horse.

As he flew off, someone was looking through the window and smiled as he saw him flying, noticing his wings. _He hasn't changed at all, has he?_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, yes, i've continued!

Mikey: Glad you're not lazy anymore.

Shut it, slave.

Mikey: (sigh) Yes, master.

Read and Review and Ducky won't throw lead-filled rubber duckies at you while you're in the shower. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: **Yo. I'm back.

**Mikey: **A full year later and now you're writing again?

**Me: **Well, writer's block and my last year of high school got in the way. Plus, I was talking with CatMuto about her latest Tales of Symphonia story, Crazy Couple.

**Mikey: **Well, stop messing with your girlfriend and get back to writing. Also, why'd you change your name to mine?

**Me: **Well it's my name, first of all. I gave it to you because I'm uncreative at times. Secondly, I like it. Disclaimer!

**Mikey: **Guardian Mikey does not own AdventureQuest nor any other Artix Entertainment products. He does own me, even though AE can still do what they want with me.

**Me: **Meh, it's in the Terms of Service.

--

**Chapter Two-**

Mikey landed a few miles on the outskirts of Battleon, making sure the Frogzard child wasn't scared to the point of wetting itself. After taking care of any possible spills, he walked toward the small town. He started to remember all the things that had happened since he was last in this town. The battle against the Devourer, The'Galin, and his Network, the Fall of Granemor, his journey into No Man's Land to find Maurinelle's voice and return it to her, and many other small adventures. Being a Guardian and a Paladin was no easy task.

He waved to the two guardsmen as he walked past and headed to the small shop next to Warlic's Spell Shop. His motto is "Master the Arcane and learn how to spell." Mikey shook his head at his dad's antics and how Artix has rubbed off on him.

After debating silently whether to let Warlic know that he was turning into Artix, he decided to just leave it be. Warlic was over sixty years old now, and Mikey had a feeling that he was going senile pretty fast. It might've been those assassination attempts by Nytheria or the trauma over having to fight Xan and finish him off, his once best friend, but it didn't matter. He was probably two cards short of a full deck at this point.

Meanwhile, at Mikey's home, more guests were showing up and the decorations and food were almost ready. Faith was being about as hyper as a kid can be on their birthday. After all, there were people, cake, and best of all, presents. What more could a child want? After exhausting her mother, Faith ran over and decided to ask Kinshra all about his adventures. Eliac had arrived a few minutes before, having to sneak out. Being a queen of an entire race was not the best occupation in the world. But she knew her people needed her. They looked up to her for advice and guidance in times of dire need.

She would never say it out loud, but she loved the attention. She liked how people treated her and she loved each of her citizens as if they were her own child. Most would say that she was selfish for thinking such, but in reality, she was a selfless person, who wanted only others to be happy, even if it meant she wasn't. She gave a small groan, "How are they going to react when they find out I left for a party?"

Kinshra looked up at Eliac, stopping for a moment from his story, "Ah, they'll do what they did when you left seven years ago to help out Mikey: Find the second-in-command and make him do stuff."

Eliac cracked a smile, "Yes, you're right. Faith, did your dad or your uncle Kinshra ever tell you about the time your dad fought off a dragon?"

Faith's eyes were wide as she slowly shook her head no. After looking to Robina, who gave a small nod giving her the okay to tell, Eliac sat Faith down on her lap and began to re-tell the story of how Mikey beat the Dragon Matt.

Back in Battleon, Mikey walked into Aria's small pet shop and glanced around. As usual, Aria was behind the counter, making sure that the animals in her small store were happy and well-fed. Good battle pets were so hard to find those days. Aria was the best pet trainer on Lore, having been taught by her Grandmother before she passed away a little over a decade ago. Mikey walked up to the counter and greeted Aria with a smile, "Hey there, Aria. I haven't seen you in a while."

Aria was pleasantly surprised and gave him a smile back, "Well, if it isn't Mikey. The hero of the Nightbane campaign."

Mikey blushed, "Okay, seriously, I'm not a hero. After all, there were a lot of others fighting alongside me and my friends."

Aria laughed at his red face, "I know, Mikey. But I can't help but tease you. You're ripe for parody. But what brings you over? I haven't seen you since Blue's little bathroom problem a few years back."

Mikey had to laugh at that, "Yeah, he luckily got over it. I was tired of cleaning up after him. And I bring you a gift." Mikey plucked the little Zard off his head and set it down on the counter.

Aria cooed at the little tyke,"He's a cutie. Where'd you find him?"

Mikey re-told the events leading up to his discovery of the toddler and Aria listened along. She nodded as he finished, "Yeah, there's no doubt this little guy is an orphan now. But you can to the right place! I'll have this little guy trained to be the best Frogzard, even greater than the Fire Guardian Frogzard that Kinshra got for his birthday!" She took the Frogzard into the back room and got him acquainted with all the other animals. Most animals fought over territory, but they knew better. Last time someone got into a fight, they either got no dinner, double exercises, or both.

If there was anything Aria could hate, it'd be fights. Mikey bad his farewell, knowing that the Frogzard would be in good hands, and headed back for home. After all, he couldn't miss his little girl's fourth birthday. He has never missed a birthday of her's yet and he doesn't plan to start now. Running into the open fields on the outskirts of Battleon, he summoned his wings and began his flight back home.

--

**Me:** Well?

**Mikey:** Wow... I did a lot of stuff while those 7 years passed. Still it's a bit short.

**Me:** D'uh. I mean, other than banging Robina, having a kid, training, and inventing new things, you had to do other stuff on the side. And yes, I know it's short, but my brain is tired.

**Mikey:** You make it sound so little... and blushes don't say I banged her...

**Me:** Sorry. I meant having continual sex with.

**Mikey:** facepalm

**Me:** Review please. After all, I like reviews. They make me all... loosey-goosey. :3

Also, I'll try to get another chapter up by the end of next week.


End file.
